All about muffins

This is my best ever muffin recipe, it is light and fluffy and very versatile.  First, lets talk about the ingredients!

Flour - you can take out up to one cup of flour and substitute coconut, oats, nut flours and wholemeal flour or a mix of what ever else takes your fancy, just add 1teaspoon of baking powder for one cup of substitute.  For blueberry muffins I just take out 3 tablespoons of flour and put in one of desiccated coconut and two of oats.  It is still a soft fluffy muffin.

Sugar- Brown gives you a more caramel, but less sweet flavour.  If you use white, use a little less.  You can use maple syrup or honey. 

Milk - Use whatever milk you have, including buttermilk or almond milk

Oil - an oil with no flavour is best, so I don't use olive oil, but if you decide to make it a flavour in your muffins go ahead.  Use grape seed, canola or vegetable oil.  If you reduce the oil content the muffins will not be as soft but still delish.

Fruit and Nuts - Go wild!  Use whatever is in season, apples, blueberries, rhubarb, carrots, banana, walnuts, sultanas, choc chips, the flavours are endless. You can use frozen fruit.

Flavourings - use whatever goes with the fruit you are using, blueberry and vanilla, walnut and coffee, apple and cinnamon, banana and ginger etc. etc.  If you are using coffee or cocoa just dissolve them in a little hot water first.  Try adding citrus zest or orange or rose water.

Toppings - I top fruit muffins with some of the fruit and about 1/2 a teaspoon of raw sugar, this makes them crunchy and delish.  If you are using nuts, try a thin coffee flavour icing and some nuts, or top with crushed nuts and sugar, or a crumble made from 2 tbls rolled oats, 2 tbls coconut, 20g butter 1 tbls brown sugar.  For savory muffins try topping with pumpkin seeds.

Important Tips -

1. Mix the wet ingredients well. 
2. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients well. 
3. Add the fruit to the dry
4. Combine wet into dry and mix the batter UNTIL JUST INCORPORATED.  If you overmix the dough, you will get tough muffins.  You have been warned!  This is quite a wet batter.
5. Never use a hand mixer just use a wooden spoon.
6. This recipe is for 12 large muffin tins, if you are using something else adjust the cooking time.  Mini muffins take 9-11 mins.

Quick Easy Blueberry Muffins

STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C
Prepare muffin tin with paper cases.

STEP2
Mix 300g (2 cups) self raising flour
165g (1/4 cup packed) brown sugar
1-1/2 punnets of blueberries

STEP 3
Beat together, 1 egg
250ml (1 cup) milk
80ml (1/3 cup)  PLUS 1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP 4
Mix gently with a wooden spoon - wet ingredients into dry until just combined.
Spoon into muffin tin
Top each with  left over blueberries and 1/2 teaspoon granulated raw sugar on each mufin
Bake for 30 mins - until skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool.